


A Hostage to all his Hopes and Fears

by thecat_13145



Series: In the Living Years [2]
Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, French Revolution, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, In Vino Veritas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 12:24:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6239182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecat_13145/pseuds/thecat_13145
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marius finds out the truth about Grantaire</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Hostage to all his Hopes and Fears

“I’m sorry,” Marius repeated, “I didn’t think…”

If Richelieu had being present, he would have undoubtedly agreed with him. If D'Artagnan had being, he would have added something about that being a trait of his family, but there was only Clouet present and she lacked the confidence of the either of the other men. Besides which, Grantaire was leaning against her and he was heavy. Almost as heavy as the laundry baskets she had pulled in and out of Temple Tower as a child. 

So she had to force herself to restrict her comments to a glare and a muttered “The door please, Monsieur.”

Old Gillamaud’s grandson could at least take direction well enough, even if he was the wisest fool in Christendom. She longed to ask him what he had hoped to achieve by today’s sortie to Versailles.

And what did he care anyway? The man was a Napoleonist, at least according to his grandfather. A Bourbon prince of any description would be a danger to him and his beloved master, the Corsican.

Grantaire moaned something into her shoulder, and she moved quickly to get the other man out the cold night. She doubted that his own rooms would be much better, but they were certainly easier to fix.

“Will he…,” Behind her, Marius swallowed and shuffled his feet. “Will he be alright?”

Her heart almost melted at the uncertainness in his voice and she revised her opinion. Whatever his motives earlier, they hadn’t been malicious. He had simply found something odd and had followed it to it’s eventual source. The only surprise truthfully was that nothing like this had happened sooner.

“He’ll probably sleep for most of the day.” She said, carefully moving across the room towards the small truckle bed. R hated it, usually preferring to sleep in his chair, but when he was like this, the bed was easier and safer. “He may dream violently, but that is it.” She smiled at him. “Can you stay with him? I am going to go ask Madame for a hot water bottle. She is an excellent woman and discreet.”

In truth, R’s landlady, carefully selected by Richelieu, though whether R was aware of the fact was open to debate, was a woman just one step removed from being mentally simple. Nothing about her tenant seemed to surprise or distress her, not even the request for a hot water bottle in the middle of the day in the middle of May from his sister. It was strangely nice, nice for the silence, if nothing else.

Things around R were rarely quiet and she need the quiet to think, to decide what she was going to do. It was not too late to send word to the others, to Richelieu or to D'Artagnan, which would really just be delaying the first.

There are always plenty of children around here, happy enough to earn a honest crust, by delivering a message. It could reach Richelieu before the hour was up. 

But she knows what would happen. Richelieu hadn’t being happy about them returning to Paris, feeling the risks too great. As soon as he heard that the secret had being penetrated, that anyone outside of their conspiracy knew the truth, he would whisk them all way to Treville or possibly even Le Fere.

And then what? She knew the truth. They would never be allowed to leave it. Oh, in a year or two Richelieu might relent, permit her to return to Paris, more for fear of the gossip than anything else, but R would be trapped there. Forever.

R hated anything that vaguely smacked of being locked up, even those minor things of social conventions. She didn’t blame him. The Temple had being bad enough for her and she had being able to leave with her mother every evening. To be locked up there for days…

The landlady appeared, startling her out of her thoughts. She accepted the hot water bottle, making excuses for it’s use and replying to the landlady’s kind enquiries automatically, before escaping upstairs.

Her feet, trained since their youth for service, made little noise on the floor and the door was open wide enough for voices to carry. The young man Marius, apologizing again. R’s response was muffled, but she knew it would be a dismissal of the situation.

Then silence before Maris said softly, “That the Dauphin of France_”

She crept closer. None of them had ever dared to be so blunt. To use that title. She heard R’s laugh.

“The Dauphin was described as a handsome, blond child, with a sweet and enticing nature.” She can see him, through a crack in the door, as he heaves himself out of the bed and picks up the inevitable wine bottle. Pulling the cork out with his teeth, he turned back to Marius. “That sounds more Enjorlas, wouldn’t you say?”

“But…” Marius sounds young. Confused. Mon dieu were either of them ever that young. “How can you believe_”

“You should know I believe in nothing.” The bottle must be empty, as it hit the wall, smashing. “My father believed that they would never harm the king. They did. My mother believed that her family would save us,” He shook his head. “They abandoned us and brought my sister for song. My aunt believed in God.” He shrugged. “Perhaps it gave her some comfort at the end. My guardian believed in the Revolution and was executed by it. My sister,” There’s a catch in his voice and her hands grip the cloth which holds the hot water bottle so hard, she’s sure it will crack. “She believed that her uncle cared about her. That he wanted only her happiness.” The bitterness in his voice is evident as he said, “Instead, he declared her brother dead and sold her to a cousin to ensure he would be king.”

There’s silence in the room. It seems to last forever, but it can only truthfully be a few minutes before R speaks again. “Do you know what the last words Louis XIV wrote to his son? That if he had the Misfortune to become king, he should not seek revenge for his death.”

The agony in his voice is palatable, as he repeats the words. “The misfortune to become king.” There’s another long silence before R adds. “He would have being happier as a revolutionary.” 

“One of his cousins was.” Marius is speaking automatically.

“Yes and was executed by the revolution for his blood.” She watches unseen as R walks towards Marius, holding out his hand. “The Dauphin died in the Temple. By the time death came, he was glad of it. Let him rest in Peace, Marius. Don’t go stirring this up.”

**Author's Note:**

> So this small prompt seems to have spawned it's own universe, now with two fics and another two in the works.  
> Historical stuff - Louis XVI did genuinely seem to believe up until after his trial that he would not be executed. As we know, that didn't work out. Maria Antoinette did believe that her family would at least help her and her son, but in the end, while Austria did go to war to try and help, they were defeated and ultimately surrendered any claim to either of them. They would eventually receive her only surviving child, Maria Therese in 1795. 
> 
> Louis XVIII (Count de Provenance, Louis XVII's Uncle) did marry his niece to his nephew (son of his younger brother), to secure his claim to the throne (the marriage was not a success) and Did try very hard to have Louis XVII's body found. He did not succeed and the Dauphin's body (minus it's heart) is still technically missing. 
> 
> Louis XVI's Sister, Maria Elisabeth, was very religious and attempted to persuade both children and their mother to take comfort from this. She was ultimately executed by the Revolution in 1794. She was executed last out of 25, meaning she had to watch 25 other women die before her turn. Accounts vary on whether she held up well, never ceasing to say the "De profundis" or whether she fainted. Whatever the truth, there were apparently no cries of Vive Le Revolution after her death. 
> 
> Master Simone was executed as part of the coupe against Robespierre. His wife survived the Revolution and the Restoration. 
> 
> One of Louis's XVI's Cousin was an member of the Revolution Council and actually voted for his death. His son would be come the king in real world Les Miserables.


End file.
